Garment-clasp.



M. I. HAMBURGER. GARMENT CLASP. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25, 1909.

956,342. Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

MANES I. HAMBURGER, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

GARMENT-CLASP.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

Application filed August 25, 1909. Serial N o. 514,558.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Manns I. HAMBURGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Clasps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to garment clasps, and especially to the flat clasps at such points as the `meeting ends of waist bands.

It has for its object the improvement of the attaching means, whereby the clasp may be rendered perfectly flat, secure against accidental detachment, and highly efficient in its operation.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a folded metal body, one member of which contains a keyhole slot and the other member is adapted to be inserted between or beneath the folds of the fabric to which it is to be attached.l The free ends of both members are provided with interlocking elements which engage beneath the surface layer of fabric, these preferably comprising tails or prongs formed on the outer member passing down through the fabric, with coacting sockets or slots in the inner member through which the prongs pass rearwardly so that when the two members are pressed together against opposite sides of the fabric, the said prongs may be stitched thereto, so as to secure the entire device in the. most eicient manner, permit-ting strains from the clasp to the cloth back of it to be distributed to a greater degree, and the strain on the stitching to be less, than has heretofore been possible. The bend in my clasp is preferably solid, this passing around the front edge of the fabric and in order to prevent displacement of the latter in operation, without stitching, I provide prongs or holding devices on the inner member, which positively hold the fabric against any backward pull, and incidentally prevent lateral displacement at the forward end of the clasp. The member coperating with this clasp plate is a button, secured to the opposite portion of the band or garment and having a head adapted to pass into the circular portion of the keyhole and beneath slightly upturned edges along the sides of the slot, so that as it is drawn forward in practice it will raise the outer plate sufliciently for its own accommodation and no more. By the use of this expedient I ain enabled to dispense with all bends or inclines or other devices herebent up. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the f.

same formed and locked. Fig. et is a sectional view on the line -m of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of modiiications. Fig. 7 is a detail showing method of inserting the plate in position.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 the numerals 1 and 2 indicate the respective meeting ends of a waist band to which are attached the clasp members 3 and 4 respectively, the former being the slotted plate member and the latter the coperating button member. The part 3 has outer and inner members 3a and 3b, the former slotted at 32-31, the portion of the slot marked 3d having its edges slightly upturned as indicated at 3e, so that when the button is inserted at 3 and drawn in the direction of the arrow, it will pass beneath these edges and slightly raise the member 3a which tends by reason of its own resilience to lie at against the surface of thecloth. The means by which the part 3 is secured in position are indicated'in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines in the other gures.

Referring to Fig. 2, the clasp plate is shown fiat, in blank before bending. At one end it has the prongs 3P perforated at 3i, and at the'other the slots 3S, forming locking members 3g perforated at 3h. The line upon which the plate is bent is indicated by dotted lines at 3m, and just to one side of this line the pointed holding prongs 3k are punched Out.

Referring to Fig. 3, the plate is shown bent on the line 3m and with the prongs 3P carried back and inserted through the slots 3s so as to lock under the members 3g. With the parts thus locked, the perforations 3i and 3 register, and it is to be noted that the slots 3S have a. depth somewhat greater than the width of the prongs 3P whereby openings 30 are left, for the passage of a needle, if it be desired to whip over after buttonholing the openings in the cloth through which the prongs 3P pass. In this ligure the said prongs are shown short, and the stitching is supposed to pass through the registering openings 25h-3i, but they are preferably made longer than this, and may be extended to the length shown in Fig. 5, with the openings or eyes 3i in their ends. Vith such construction, the eyes 3 may be dispensed with.

Referring to Fig. l, it will be observed that the band 1 is composed of several layers of fabric, 1a, 1b and 1, which of course may be increased by changes in the design of garment at will, but are shown herein for purposes of illustration. 11 is the outer facing or cloth body, 1b is a canvas stiener, and 1C is the cloth inner facing. These are stitched together around the edges at 1d and le, the latter being the meeting edge which overlaps the adjacent edge of the band or garment when fastened.. The clasp plate 3 is applied to this edge, its member 3b being inserted beneath the inner facing 1C, passing rearwardly until the bend 3m lies along the edge of the garment, and the slots 3S lie beneath openings 1O formed in the cloth facing 1c. In order to effect this insertion of the plate, the two members 3a and 3b are slightly bent apart, and the prongs 3P are bent at an angle as indicated in Fig. 7. Their ends are inserted through the openings 1 and the slots 3S, and then the outer member 3a of the plate is pressed down so that the prongs slide rearwardly until they come to rest with all of the parts in position as shown in Fig. e. In order to facilitate the introduction of the plate, and especially the sliding back of the prongs, I may introduce a flat steel tool, similar in shape to a metal paper knife, which is indicated at 5 in Fig. 7. Vhen using stiff metal I may also provide a suitable tool in the nature of pliers to bend the plate up and down. vWith the metal heretofore employed for clasps of a similar nature, however, it is unnecessary, as it yields readily to the fingers.

The device of Fig. el is shown stitched in place by threads passing through the eyes 3h and 3i. With the modification shown in Fig. 5, it would be secured by stitches around the ends of the prongs, and in Fig. 6 the stitches would be around the edge of the single prong. In either case the stitching is so far back of the point of strain, .that a considerable gain in efliciency is effected, and the strain better transmitted to and distributed over the cloth than where the stitching is along the sides of the plate in contiguity to the securing slot. Moreover, by

having the stitches lie to the rear of the slot which they do in all my forms, they tend to keep the plate in alinement, and thus obviate the necessity for any elaborate stitching at the front edge which is otherwise necessary to guard against lateral displacement. Such stitching on short plates has heretofore been found subject to wear, and very liable to give way when worn.

It will be observed in Fig. 4 that the tangs A3 project forward into the inside of the cloth facing 1C. The edge 3m of the plate is solid in my case, which constitutes a marked difference over any plate heretofore used. 1Wherever a sliding part has come under a clasp, it has been found necessary to stitch the cloth at the edge to prevent its working back when the sliding part was withdrawn. It is to prevent this working back that I use the tangs 3k, thus obviating the necessity for the edge stitching and incidentally preventing the lateral displacement of the plate.

I understand that some changes may be made in the details of this device, without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore desire it understood that I do not limit myself to such details as the exact length of the prongs 3P, the outline shape of the plate in Fig. 2, or the like. I contemplate such changes in these and other non-essential features as fall fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a two-part garment clasp, the combination of a bent plate having two parallel members, one carrying rearwardly extending terminal prongs and the other having cooperating locking means for said prongs, the first member having its body slotted to receive the complementary member of the clasp, and having eyes in its prongs for purposes of stitching to the garment, whereby all strains are communicated to the fabric of the garment to the rear of the plate, substantially as described.

2. A two-part garment clasp comprising astud or button as one part, and coperating therewith a slotted plate struck from sheet metal in elongated form and bent on an intermediate transverse line, with a slot in the end of one member and a tongue on the other adapted to pass through said slot and extend out beyond the same, said tongue being provided with means to receive stitching, whereby the plate may be secured to the fabric of the garment rearwardly of the point of strain, substantially as described.

3. A two-part garment clasp comprising a stud or button as one part, and coperating therewith a slotted plate struck from sheet metal in elongated form and bent on an intermediate transverse line, with a slot in the end of one member and a tongue on the other adapted to pass through said slot and extend out beyond the same, and means projecting from one member into the space between them near the bend, adapted to engage the edge of a fabric inserted therein to hold it smoothly in place against the tendeney of the button part of the clasp todisplace it, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MANES I. HAMBURGER. Witnesses:

JAMES II. MARR, CHARLES LOWELL HOWARD. 

